


Douchecanoe

by parttimehuman



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Holding Hands, Liam makes everything better, Light Angst, M/M, Theo has a rough past, unconventional first meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 07:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17894282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parttimehuman/pseuds/parttimehuman
Summary: Theo robs people by pretending his truck has a flat tire and making them help him. It all goes wrong when he tries this on Liam, who decides to make a good guy out of Theo. Of course, feelings happen.





	Douchecanoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThiamHarpy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThiamHarpy/gifts).



> Happy belated birthday, Dana. Let's just take this as a reason to celebrate you again. 🎂🎉🎈🎁💕

It was the same annoying, slightly uphill road home after work every day in Liam's life, and he hated it with every fiber of his tired and aching being. It had been the same struggle since high school, freezing half to death when the cold morning air hit his face on the way downhill to school and getting home took him an eternity of time as well as his own body weight in sweat.

 

One would think Liam had to have either gotten trained enough to endure the route on a daily basis or saved enough money to exchange his bike for a car, but neither was the case. Liam was the un-sportiest person in all of Beacon Hills, yet still not ready to pay a fortune for a car that he would need for five tiny, ridiculous miles a day. No, his mother had raised him to be better than that.

 

When somewhere in the distance, a blue truck parked at the side of the road that was Liam's personal hell on earth came into sight, and then a couple of breathless, endless minutes later its owner standing next to it, eyeing the tires suspiciously, Liam was almost thankful for the distraction from his suffering, but only until he was close enough to realize how attractive the guy was. It was bad enough to be seen in his current state by any living person at all, but a hot person was just utterly unfair of the universe. Liam straightened his back and tried to ride his bike by the stranger as quietly as possible, preferably without sounding like a suffocating walrus, but he was almost certain it wasn't working.

 

Luckily, the hot guy seemed too busy examining his truck to take note of Liam, so he sped up as much as he could without making any death sounds to get away, innerly crying as he took in the broad shoulders straining a tight t-shirt that were practically presented to him. He'd have to have a wank at home, or a depression nap, or both.

 

"Hey, you!" The owner of the truck yelled after Liam, startling him so much he all but fell off his bike.

 

"What? Me? Yes? Hello," Liam answered as he came to an abrupt halt and turned his head to look back. Death number two was on its way as he looked into the guy's face. It was framed by casually messed up hazel brown hair and covered in a beard. He had pretty green eyes and the sun was drawing shadows of his lashes onto his cheekbones. One corner of his mouth perked up to give him an amused yet friendly smile. If Liam could build himself a man exactly the way he wanted him, it would be this one right here, no doubt.

 

"Hello," the man replied, "didn't you think I could use some help maybe?" He looked at Liam expectantly, but with more curiosity than accusation in his look.

 

"Uh, yes, sorry," Liam muttered, getting off his bike and walking back to the truck. He didn't know the first thing about cars, and he sure as hell wouldn't be of any help fixing one, but it seemed rude to just ride ahead and he wasn't going to be rude to this beautiful person standing in front of him, so he left his bike in the grass, dumped his bag next to it and stood beside the guy, looking at the truck where its owner had been looking as well, not seeing anything unusual whatsoever, not that he'd know. "What seems to be the problem?"

 

"To be completely honest with you," the guy said, leaning in so he could whisper the rest of the sentence into Liam's ear. "I'm not an expert in this at all." Liam felt like running away, firstly because up close he must look like a bright red, sweaty and puffy disaster of a person and secondly, because the two of them clearly weren't going to solve the case together.

 

"I think it's one of the tires. There was a noise, and then it felt really wobbly all of a sudden, you know? One of them must be flat."

 

Liam nodded and walked around the truck. None of the tires looked like he imagined a flat tire to look like, and his bike had had those before, so he did have an idea. "Are you sure?" He asked. "I don't see anything."

 

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," the guy insisted. "Maybe take another look? It felt like it was the front right one. Maybe it has a hole? I think it needs to be changed. Can you change a tire? You look like a man who could change a tire."

 

Liam was genuinely wondering what on earth could possibly make him look like he could change a tire while he went to the front right tire and looked at it again, poking it with one finger without anything happening. This guy and his truck were strange, Liam thought, very strange. "I mean, I've assisted my stepdad before, but I'm not really sure I could change one on my own. Do you even have a spare?"

 

"Yeah, yeah, sure," the stranger muttered, sounding oddly far away.

 

"Great," Liam whispered, more to himself than to the other man, who didn't seem to be very interested  in the few technicalities Liam actually knew about where to find the required tools and how to use them. "So if I remember correctly, this thing goes here and then I can spin this..."

 

Well, it almost looked like Liam was doing this. He didn't want to be responsible for the potential catastrophe that might have followed if he made any mistakes, but he already had the tools and the spare tire, and it didn't seem completely impossible to vaguely remember what his stepdad had done all those times he'd watched, so he simply tried, maybe for no other reason than the chance to impress a remarkably attractive man in need.

 

Equally proud and intimidated, Liam looked at the tire he suddenly held in his hands a few minutes later. It was a solid effort, although like this, he was even more sure that there was nothing wrong with it, but either way, the hard part was yet to come.

 

"Hey," Liam called for the other guy, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He hoped he wasn't looking all too silly crouching on the ground and struggling to complete a pretty trivial task like changing a tire. There was no response, so Liam looked up, searching for the other man as he asked, "Could you maybe lend me a hand here? Wait, where are you?" 

 

And then he spotted him.

 

"Wait. Is that my wallet?"

 

"Of course not," came the guy's immediate reaction, and Liam might have been blinded by his exceptional beauty, but not completely blind, and he was definitely seeing this guy in front of him, Liam's bag open at his feet, the second half of Liam's sandwich in one hand, and his wallet in the other.

 

"Are you kidding me?" It was with that question leaving his mouth that Liam realized what was going on and why there was no apparent damage to any of the stupid tires of the stupid car of this stupid pretty guy. "Oh my god!" He all but yelled. "You are! You were trying to rob me! What the hell! What is wrong with you?"

 

He was catching this dude red handed, and yet, he managed to give Liam a smirk and a shrug, being all smug about it as he pocketed a wallet that didn't belong to him and took a bite of a sandwich that a mother had prepared with love and extra mayo for her son, walking over to his truck as if it was the most natural thing to do in that moment.

 

"A man has to feed himself," the guy mumbled. Now he was even speaking with his mouth full, Liam noticed, unamused. "I'm sure you'll understand."

 

Liam didn't understand at all, but the stranger didn't understand either, apparently, because he got into the driver's seat of his truck and pulled the door closed loudly before he realized that the seat under his ass was kind of uneven and he looked at Liam in confusion.

 

Liam couldn't help himself, so he burst out laughing. He might have had a really shitty day at work and an even shittier way home on his bike, he might have just been fooled and robbed, but at least he wasn't the one sitting in a three-wheeled getaway car like an absolute idiot.

 

"Oh my god!" He wheezed, holding his stomach and feeling tears welling up in his eyes. He wasn't even mad about the money in his wallet. Obviously, because it wasn't going to go anywhere, but also because the other guy's face was almost worth the loss. "Oh my god. I can't believe you. Have you ever successfully done this before? You're literally the worst thief ever. If I were you I'd consider a career change."

 

The failed thief turned red immediately and let Liam's sandwich fall to the street carelessly as he got out of the truck and stepped around it, looking at where his fourth wheel was missing. He looked at Liam and back at the car, clenching his fists. Liam could tell his blood was starting to boil, but with Liam's wallet still in the back pocket of his jeans, there was no reason for empathy at all.

 

"You idiot!" The guy spat. "You said you didn't know shit about cars! How did this happen in like thirty seconds then? Good god, as if this day wasn't bad enough already!"

 

"Oh, you think you're having a bad day?" Liam countered, because how dare this asshole? "Imagine getting home from work an hour late because your manager asks you to do something completely pointless for her the minute you want to leave after an entire day of pure boredom. Imagine dying from  exhaustion on your bike on the way up this eternal hill. Imagine almost making it past the hot asshole at the side of the road before you're called back. Imagine your generosity being abused and your entire walled being stolen. The money? By all means, take it if you need it that badly, but if you force someone through the hell of applying for a new ID-card and license, you're a douchecanoe and nothing else."

 

"So you've noticed that I'm hot," the guy answered, the color of his face normalizing again.

 

"That is not..." Liam stopped himself. There was no point in lecturing this dude. He was truly hopeless. "I think I'll go now. Can I have my wallet back?"

 

"Depends. Can I have my tire back?"

 

"It's right there," Liam said casually, pointing at it. "And since I'm guessing nothing's wrong with it, you don't even need the spare."

 

"It's not on my truck though," the guy said quietly.

 

Liam knew he shouldn't give a shit. The guy should be so lucky to not be reported to the Sheriff for what he tried to pull with Liam. The last thing Liam owed him was to fix his dumb truck. Then again, Liam realized, since it really didn't seem like this guy was going to be able to take care of it himself, he was holding some sort of power over him now, power that he could use to do something good. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave the guy a strict look.

 

"So the way I see it, you're kind of stuck without my help with this, is that correct?"

 

"I mean, I guess I could probably get some other big, strong man to pull over and help me," he replied, batting his eyelashes to demonstrate his splendid beauty once more.

 

"Great," Liam said bitterly, turning away. "Bye."

 

"No!" The other man called after him, grabbing Liam by the arm. "Please don't go."

 

"So you do admit that you need my help?" Liam repeated his former question.

 

"Yes," he said, looking to the ground and letting go of Liam's arm.

 

"Awesome, here's how it's going to go. I'll help you, but I have conditions." The pretty guy rolled his eyes and Liam threw him a strict look, making him stand still and listen. "As we've already established, you're a douchecanoe, and I'd like you to say it."

 

"Fine, if that's all you're asking for."

 

"Oh, not even close."

 

The guy looked at Liam, but Liam refused to even continue talking. He wasn't going to give in this time. The moment stretched, and he almost believed he was just going to ride his bike home and leave this dude to himself and his idiocy, but then he heard a sigh and looked into green eyes as the guy coughed first and then said it, with flushed cheeks that were oddly satisfying to look at.

 

"I am a douchecanoe."

 

"Very well," Liam nodded, "I'll accept this first step, but I'll have to ask you to never rob anyone ever again or make any attempts to do so, however foolish and immature they may be, got it?"

 

"I'm afraid I can't promise that, since this is the only way I make money to get by and-"

 

"Nope," Liam interrupted, shaking his head vehemently, "I don't care. It's not okay, no matter what kind of tragic story about your life you're about to tell me. Stealing is a crime, and you're not just stealing, you're stealing  _ from someone _ . It stops now immediately and forever. Got it?"

 

Liam was almost a little grateful for the pause that followed. Otherwise he would have taken the response for a lie.

 

"Fine," he whispered.

 

"I said, 'Got it?'," Liam insisted.

 

"Got it," the guy nodded, looking him in the eyes this time.

 

"Condition number three," Liam continued, ignoring the annoyed look he got for having more to add. "You're going to drive me home. Not just now, you're going to pick me up after work every day from this day forward and drive me to my house."

 

"For how long?"

 

"Until you've found an actual job yourself," Liam decided.

 

"I hate you," the guy groaned, "you could have had mercy and just left me here to die from starvation or something."

 

"Number four," Liam went ahead, "my wallet." He held his hand out and took his wallet back, suppressing the urge to check if everything was still in it. "Number five," he said, turning slightly and leaning against the truck, nodding at the tools and tires spread out in the grass beneath their feet. "You do the work. I'll instruct you."

 

"Is that it?"

 

"Yes," Liam nodded. "Oh wait, no. I almost forgot, you owe me a sandwich. Made with love, asshole."

 

"Theo," the guy said, "my name is Theo. Although asshole is fine too, I guess, as long as we can stop the douchecanoe thing, because that sounds really awful."

 

"Suits you, then," Liam grinned. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but it could have been a lot nicer, I think. We'll work on that, douchecanoe. I'm Liam."

 

*

 

Theo was genuinely unsure whether he was having the best or the worst day of his life yet. On the one hand, he had pretty much wasted the entire afternoon and still had the same amount of money in his pocket - zero, so business definitely wasn't going too great. More importantly, it looked like he was out of business completely now after promising Liam that he wouldn't steal anymore. Theo had never made enough money through honest work to make a living, so this recent development was taking all of his plans for a future away, even if Theo never allowed himself to think of a future that went beyond the following week.

 

Not to mention that Theo had made a complete and utter fool out of himself by getting behind the steering wheel of his truck, ready to wave the handsome stranger goodbye and take off with his wallet without realizing that Liam had actually managed to take one of his tires off.  He wasn't usually as dumb as he'd felt in that situation, he simply hadn't anticipated for Liam's obvious lack of knowledge about cars to be paired with such stubborn determination to help him out nonetheless.

 

If it came down to it though, and it pretty much was coming down to it after nothing else was left in Theo's mess of a life, what somehow mattered most to him was that he met Liam in the first place. Obviously, he hadn't laid a trap at the road through Beacon Hills because he'd thought it would be a great way to get into dating, and neither had he decided that Liam would make a great victim based on his looks, but life had a way of making funny things like that happen sometimes, and with Liam finally in the passenger seat of Theo's truck, typing his number into Theo's phone, it was hard to regret the events of the day completely.

 

Nothing had gone according to plan, and Theo was hungry, but he'd just met the most stunningly gorgeous man in all of Beacon Hills, and he wasn't going to lie about this, Liam standing before him and going to bossy mode, listing conditions and not letting Theo fool him again had gotten his blood running hot. Theo sure as hell wasn't interested in becoming Liam's charity case. He wasn't going to turn his life around after twenty-five years of living it day by day, the same shit coming for him on every single one of them, but damn it if Liam's pretty face wasn't worth giving him a few rides home from work. Although Theo knew he would never have an actual chance with a man like Liam, even a screw-up like him could dream every once in a while.

 

He'd swallowed his pride like he usually never would, not that he'd had any other option, had let Liam tell him how to get his damn truck back on the road, loaded Liam's bike on the truck bed and accepted the tragic defeat of his body against physical labor as he'd looked into the mirror. Theo knew how attractive he was well enough to rely on his good looks to help him manipulate people he planned to rob, but other than Liam, he wasn't exactly rocking the whole messy, slightly dirty look. Where sweaty hair and a smudged face made Liam look manly and strong and sexy, it had Theo appearing like he'd lost control. He hated the feeling. With Liam sitting beside him, he would have wanted to have his strongest game on, but it was hopeless that day.

 

"Thank you for the ride," Liam said politely before he hopped out of Theo's truck in front of a nice looking house with a prettily kept front yard and a huge balcony. It had something comical to it how polite Liam was, even after Theo had tried to steal his money and leave him at the road, but he liked that. Theo wasn't a good person, so he didn't mind people pointing that out to him, but what most people did when someone like Theo screwed them over was whining or seeking revenge. Liam however wasn't interested in either of those things. Instead, he was at least trying to get Theo to change. Even knowing that it was no use, Theo had to admire his attitude.

 

"I'll text you when I finish work tomorrow. You can expect that to be in the late afternoon," Liam declared, "it's gonna be great not to ride my bike home for once. Thanks again. See you tomorrow." He almost sounded like they were friends, like Theo was offering him a lift home out of the goodness of his heart and not because Liam was blackmailing him, and for a few seconds while watching Liam letting himself inside the house, Theo wished he had a chance to be that person, wished he could have met Liam under normal circumstances and preserved at least a tiny chance for them to genuinely become friends.

 

Theo's night was short and restless as always, except for entirely new reasons. What kept him awake wasn't the fear of the ghosts that haunted his dreams, it was a pair of crisp blue eyes and a look in them that made him squirm. Owning nothing but the truck under his desperate ass, Theo had never been able to afford remorse for the crimes he'd committed. He hadn't gotten a fair chance in life, had been abandoned and raised by the streets, led by the hunger inside him. 

 

It wasn't his fault that he wasn't clean and neat and good like Liam. With a mother who put lettuce leaves on a sandwich for him, even Theo might have made something out of himself, but he'd never had this kind of luck, and if the world was unfair to him, he was okay with being unfair to it too. With Liam on his sleepless mind though, Theo wasn't so sure anymore.

 

It felt stupid, really, to be hanging around near Liam's work place all day just so Theo could be there quickly as soon as he'd be needed after Liam got off, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do. Theo knew he'd go back to his old ways soon enough, breaking every promise he'd given Liam, but the hunger wasn't so overwhelming yet that he'd cave, so he treated himself to the illusion that he actually had it in him to do what Liam would want him to. The math was simple. Zero money in the morning and a half full tank. No stealing and no unnecessary driving around. A growling stomach in the afternoon and a mind so bored that Theo checked his phone every two minutes from three o'clock until Liam finally texted him. Being a chauffeur for under three miles a day was truly a poor excuse of a purpose in life, but it was all that Theo had that day.

 

"Hey you," Liam greeted him, coming for him with that damn sunshine smile again. He looked even better than the day before, wearing a dark pair of jeans and a light grey button-down shirt. His hair was less damp and more fluffy, but still curling slightly where it fell into his face. His eyes were sparkly and somehow even more beautiful than Theo remembered them, rendering him speechless for a second.

 

"How's your day been so far?" Liam asked, fastening his seatbelt and looking at Theo with an open, curious look on his pretty face.

 

"How's my day been? Are you serious right now?" Theo asked back, because it was ridiculous, really, to pretend like Liam had any reason to care about Theo's shitty days. "You made pretty clear what you think of me yesterday, you don't have to be all fake nice to me now just because you're sitting in my truck. I already agreed to drive you, I'll do it in silence as well."

 

"I'm not faking anything," Liam replied. "Being a douchecanoe isn't contagious, you know. Just because you're one, doesn't mean I'm one when I'm around you. I'm nice and considerate and I won't force you to tell me about your day, but you may if you want to."

 

Theo sighed but stared ahead. He knew the way to Liam's house, so technically, there was no necessity to talk at all, and Theo wasn't one to find silence awkward. Somehow, he did want to give Liam an answer to his question still, but he couldn't exactly tell him about all the things he hadn't done and all the people he hadn't talked to. He hadn't even had a breakfast that he could tell Liam about.

 

"My day has been quite boring, to be honest," Theo finally pressed out, "what about yours?" He almost wouldn't have let the second part follow, but he caught himself being genuinely curious. Besides, he kind of liked it when Liam was talking.

 

"Oh, you wouldn't believe what happened at the office today," Liam began, only to then tell a story that could have been right out of a soap opera. Theo tried to listen and follow, nodded his head a couple of times although he had no idea which of the million names that Liam mentioned belonged to which of his seemingly terrible co-workers and he started wondering soon enough whether the people at Liam's job did any work at all or if they only came together every day to restage Gossip Girl.

 

Liam was still in the middle of his story when Theo pulled up in front of his house, but he didn't sacrifice the climax, he just kept talking, making weird voices to imitate his co-workers, not that Theo knew what any of them sounded like, gesturing with his hands to emphasize important details. Theo knew he was screwed as he sat there, in front of a house that looked way too fancy to even think about breaking in, listening to the rambles of a guy that had him wrapped around his finger. Realistically, he shouldn't want Liam to like him, but love wasn't blind, it was stupid, and Theo had managed to run from everything serious in this life, but he knew damn well that this time he stood no chance.

 

"Jesus Christ," Liam gasped, dragging Theo's distracted mind back to reality, "Theo, was that your stomach?"

 

"What?" Theo asked, looking at Liam looking at him, making big eyes and pointing at Theo's middle. Of course, his traitorous body decided to repeat the same embarrassing noise in that exact moment, sounding like an old, creaking door at best and a starving whale at worst. Theo turned bright red at the spot. Liam truly had a way of exposing every single one of Theo's shortcomings.

 

"When's the last time you've eaten?" Liam asked then while undoing his seatbelt. Theo could pinpoint the exact moment during his own nervous silence when Liam realized that what he'd just asked Theo was more than a casual question.

 

"Theo?"

 

"Yesterday morning, I think," Theo answered truthfully, too shaken to come up with a subtle lie. "Not counting the bite from your sandwich."

 

"Oh," Liam said. For the first time since Theo had met him, he looked like he didn't know what to say, but only for a moment before his perfect mask of friendliness was back up again. "In that case, you're having dinner with us tonight. My stepdad is an amazing cook, I promise. You'll love whatever he's made." As simply as that, he was out of the truck and on his way to the front door, only stopping when Theo didn't follow immediately, turning around and waving at him to come inside. "What are you waiting for?"

 

Theo had never been invited for dinner by one of his victims, especially not  _ after _ the robbery. In fact, it had been a long time since he'd last sat down around a table to share a meal with other people, and as delightful as Liam and his parents were, every passing minute made him feel a little more sick. Neither running water nor lovely smelling soap could wash his hands of the sins of his past, and Theo's stomach wasn't prepared for how much Liam piled on his plate. It became clear pretty quickly where Liam got his positive persona from, and invading on a family dinner like this was hurting Theo in places that should have long gone dead and cold.

 

"So, Theo," Mrs Geyer asked him, "how did you and Liam meet? Are you a work friend?"

 

Theo almost choked on his food. This was his cue to leave, he knew it. Liam might have been naive enough to want to turn him around and make a good guy out of him, but his parents surely weren't going to be as forgiving.

 

"He's not, actually," Liam came to his rescue, answering his mother's question with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "We just seem to have almost the same way home. Theo had seen me riding my bike almost every day so today he stopped to offer me a ride. Now I don't have to fight this damn hill anymore and Theo has company on his way home. Win win." Liam gave Theo a satisfied smile and Theo contemplated for a second to kneel down and propose to this stupid angel of a person, but he kept his mouth shut and nodded in confirmation of Liam's lie.

 

Hearing the words "Oh, how nice of you" almost physically pained him.

 

"Thank you," Theo said as he stepped outside after dinner. He didn't think he'd ever said those two words in a non-sarcastic way to anyone before, and he couldn't bring himself to looking into Liam's eyes as he did it, but he still meant them. Liam had had no reason to invite him for dinner, and he'd had no reason to lie for him. Both of those things had come unexpected and like a punch to the gut, although a voice in the back of his mind told Theo that both were good things.

 

"See you tomorrow after work?" Liam asked, as if the choice was Theo's.

 

"Sure," Theo nodded, turning away and getting into his truck again. Sleeping on the backseat became even harder that night.

 

It became a routine too quickly for Theo, spending his afternoons waiting for Liam's text to pick him up, the short drive being the only highlight of his dull days. He still hadn't broken his promise to Liam, but it was getting harder every day. Walking people's dogs and helping the elderly with grocery shopping barely covered what he needed to keep his truck running, himself fed and his clothes halfway clean. He mowed lawns for an entire day before he treated himself to a long overdue haircut.

 

Really, doing incredibly badly paid jobs and barely getting by wasn't much different from what he'd done before, Theo had to admit. It took more time and effort, but being busy at least for a couple of hours a day didn't turn out to be so bad for him. What truly made Theo's days miserable wasn't the low life standard that he'd always known, and it weren't all the things he still didn't dare to dream of. It was Liam.

 

Not so much Liam himself as his never fading faith in Theo and the good heart he assumed Theo must have. It was tiring, knowing that Theo would disappoint him sooner or later, and other than with the people he'd known before, Liam would be a loss that would really hurt him one day. He knew the time would come when he'd have to burn the bridges, just not when exactly, and Liam's refusal to acknowledge this inevitable truth didn't make it any easier.

 

"Should I give you gas money, by the way?" Liam asked one day, only to then answer his own question. "Yeah, I think I should give you gas money." Theo refused to take the money bills so Liam put them in the glovebox, and although Theo fished them out and stuffed them into the pocket of Liam's jacket, he found them in the glovebox again later that night.

 

Theo learned about Liam's job and his co-workers and the hottest gossip, about Liam's childhood and teenage years and the history of his family, about Liam's friends and his eating habits and his love for dogs, about his favorite movies and a stupid sounding tv show about werewolves that Liam was obsessed with. He learned everything there was to know about Liam one day at a time, and he started to miss Liam during the weekends when he was off his duty as the chauffeur.

 

They pretended like Theo was doing Liam a favor by eating up the rest of his lunch while he drove, and they fought over the power over the radio every single day. Theo turned quiet every time Liam mentioned a job being available somewhere in Beacon Hills, and Liam had the decency not to ask Theo why he never applied to any of them. When Liam invited Theo inside for dinner for the third time in one week and Theo was reluctant to accept, Liam blamed it on his parents who presumably kept asking about Theo. Weeks turned into months and Theo was asked to call Liam's parents by their first names. Sandwiches were shared and jokes exchanged until Theo laughed so hard that it almost made him cry.

 

Impending doom was throwing its shadow over Theo's days, but Liam was a ray of sunshine breaking through here and there in spite of it all. Theo grew attached, and it made him want to leave Beacon Hills behind for good as much as it made him want to stay.

 

Liam changed the game completely one day.

 

"Isn't it funny that you've been at my home countless times by now and I've never been at yours?" He asked, sounding like it was all innocent.

 

Theo felt his eyes on him, boring into him, and the second he met the baby blues with his own, he knew that Liam wasn't asking to hear another lie, Liam was asking to let Theo know he was aware of the truth anyway by then. It was kind of the worst thing imaginable, for the only person who mattered to Theo to uncover the tragedy that was his life piece by piece. With Liam knowing about Theo's homelessness, he must have a pretty clear picture of how little Theo had to offer him exactly, and although Theo had never believed in a chance for the two of them, the thought almost killed him.

 

It was scary, almost like Liam could look right through him, like he knew instinctively where to look for all of Theo's weaknesses. Then again, Liam wasn't just there for the weaknesses. What exactly else he hoped to find in Theo, Theo wasn't sure.

 

They drove in silence, Theo because there was no hope of bullshitting his way out of this one and Liam because he was a decent person who cared about Theo's emotional wellbeing more than his own curiosity. It had gotten late at Liam's work that night and the sun had long set by the time, which was probably the only reason why it was okay for Liam to speak about Theo's secrets just like that. Theo had always felt safer in the dark, even though he wasn't safe from his own feelings for Liam anywhere.

 

There never came an answer over Theo's lips, but some things simply went without saying, things that Theo didn't have words for. Liam averted his eyes from him and held his hand out instead, hovering over the middle console, just a little more on Theo's side of the truck than Liam's, his palm open and waiting, fingers spread. In a moment of weakness, because it was all that he truly wanted, Theo took his hand from the gearshift and put it into Liam's, their fingers intertwining and closing, soft pressure stealing his breath away.

 

Theo didn't protest when Liam took control over the radio this time, and Liam didn't say anything when Theo took a little detour. He was sure Liam would have come to his senses by the next time they'd be in a car together, so he needed to savor the feeling of holding Liam's hand in his hand for as long as he could. Theo parked the truck in front of Liam's house and let out a shaky breath, but he didn't dare to look at Liam, afraid of finding disgust in his eyes, or pity. Theo wasn't sure which one was worse.

 

Theo could tell by Liam's breathing that he was about to say something, and he mentally prepared himself for the end of his bittersweet dream, holding onto Liam's hand for just a moment longer.

 

"See you tomorrow," Liam finally said, the same words he'd used almost every night since they'd met. He squeezed Theo's hand tight before he let go and got out of the truck. Theo refused to pay attention to whether Liam looked back before going inside. He stared at his hand instead that looked just the same as always although it didn't feel the same at all, wondering how much longer Liam was going to wait before letting him off the hook.

 

Later that night, Theo received a text from Liam, the first one ever that said something else than to pick him up:  _ Good night. X _

 

Theo wasn't having a good night. He had never bothered to keep the fact that his truck was his only home a secret, but he'd never had anyone caring enough to figure it out either. That Liam knew him well enough to do it was as scary as it was healing. He typed in a reply and deleted the words before he could send them, repeated the same thing a couple of times and then gave up, letting his phone sink down and closing his eyes with a sigh. He would never find the words to say what he had to say to Liam.

 

*

 

Liam was lying in bed at night, waiting for a reply from Theo. The last time he'd had butterflies in his stomach and the last time holding someone's hand had brought him close to an inner meltdown felt like it had been ages ago, and the memories didn't compare to what was happening with him and Theo at all. Way past midnight, he kept checking his phone for the message that didn't come, wondering if he'd gone too far.

 

Theo picking him up and driving him home after work was part of the deal they'd made, back when Liam had been in a position to make demands in exchange for not calling the Sheriff's department on Theo. It hadn't been fun that day, he'd been genuinely upset with the other man. Theo and Liam had long taken their relationship beyond that stupid deal, but it had never been discussed. Now Liam had crossed the line of mutual silence, and they wouldn't be able to go back from there. He wouldn't be surprised if Theo took off and didn't show up to give him a ride the next day.

 

Liam sighed deeply and turned his phone around so that it was facing the cold mattress next to him. It was his own fault that he'd fallen for Theo, and he'd always known that it didn't make things any easier for either of them.

 

He fell into a restless sleep, wishing that he'd at least know Theo was safe and warm, or pulling him against his chest and taking care of it himself, smoothing a hand through his hair and kissing his cheek. There was nothing Liam would have done more gladly, but he didn't know how to let Theo know without scaring him away, and he didn't know if he was allowed to wish for Theo to feel the same. The fact that he fell asleep without a text back didn't give Liam much hope.

 

Thanks to his thoughts running wild during the night, Liam was late in the morning, forcing himself out of bed and into the shower, finding nothing nice enough to wear, not even having time for coffee, let alone breakfast before he hurried to work, riding his bike down the hill to the office. It wasn't until lunch break that he realized there was a message in his inbox. Not from the previous night, but earlier that day.

 

_ Good morning. X _

 

It was possible that Liam was idiot. It was possible that he was imagining things. It was possible that wishful thinking was making him make a fool out of himself. Meanwhile, it was also possible that there was something between him and Theo that was worth trying harder for. It was possible that Theo wanted what Liam did, that he simply needed more time.

 

For a moment, Liam thought about asking Theo to drive them to a nice restaurant instead of home. They'd known each other for months by then, had been talking about everything and nothing depending on the mood nearly every day, and it wasn't weird for Liam to take Theo on a date, or at least it shouldn't have been. Still, because Theo was Theo, and Liam had a hunch, Liam decided against it and got two pizzas from the place across the street from his workplace instead, texting Theo to pick him up and waiting with the steaming pizza boxes.

 

"What's this?" Theo asked as Liam climbed into the truck, eyeing him skeptically.

 

"Dinner," Liam responded, trying his best to smile and not think about all the meals Theo hadn't had while Liam hadn't had a single serious worry. "If you don't want us eating in your truck we can have them at my place."

 

When Liam saw Theo pressing his lips into a thin line, he expected something entirely different than what followed a second later. "I think I know a better place." Theo hit the gas and Liam resisted his urge to change the radio station like he usually did. It was Theo's turn.

 

"Have you ever seen the most beautiful spot in Beacon Hills?" Theo asked a few moments later. Liam turned his head to watch him. Yes, he thought, he definitely had. He'd gotten that lucky. Liam didn't say it, firstly because he didn't think Theo would appreciate that much directness and secondly because he was afraid to interrupt Theo. It was rare enough for the other man to speak without being asked, especially to speak about something personal.

 

Liam didn't know the way Theo took, through the preserve and up a little hill, driving beside a little river before they stopped. "This is it," Theo whispered, stepping into the grass and leaving the truck behind between trees. Liam followed behind with the pizzas. At first, the place didn't seem any different than any random part of the preserve, but then the trees gave way to a clearing that seemed like it was illuminated by the sun. There were a bunch of rocks and wildflowers growing at the edge of the hill. It wasn't until Liam stood next to Theo that he could take in the view over Beacon Hills and the biggest part of its preserve, he could hear the river rushing in the background.

 

"Wow," Liam breathed out. A guy riding his bike everywhere he went should have been used to fresh air, but not this kind, way closer to the sky and so far above Beacon Hills' traffic that the air tasted different and Liam felt like he'd entered a whole new world. "How do you know this place?" He wanted to know. "It's amazing."

 

It was obvious that Theo hesitated to tell him about it.  It was fine, Liam decided. He didn't need to know. He was here because Theo had wanted him to, he was being let in more than he'd hoped would be possible so soon, so he wasn't going to push it. Instead, he sat down on top of one of the bigger rocks and opened the pizza boxes.

 

"I basically spent my teenage years up here," Theo said as he was moving to sit next to Liam. "Times were a little rough before I got the truck. Not everything I owned fit into my locker at school and I was afraid of being found out, so I needed a hiding place." It wasn't until Liam followed the direction of Theo's index finger that he saw there was a tiny wooden cabin not far away from them, half hidden behind trees. He stopped chewing because he felt sick all of a sudden. The fact that Theo was sleeping in his truck was bad enough, but Liam hadn't expected that Theo had already been homeless for such a long time.

 

He imagined a fifteen year old Theo having nowhere to go after school, getting no warm meal and having nobody reminding him of his homework. "I'm sorry," Liam said bitterly, because he was, because whatever had been the reason, it shouldn't have happened to Theo.

 

"You shouldn't apologize to a douchecanoe, Liam."

 

Liam could only shake his head. "Not all douchecanoes are bad people, you know. Some of them just seem like it because they do bad things. Doesn't have to be forever though."

 

"Still determined to make me one of the good guys, huh?" Theo huffed. Liam hated the sound of it, hated how mocking Theo appeared, how certain that Liam was wrong, that there was no point in trying.

 

"Let me ask you a question, Theo. Where do you see yourself in five years? What will you be doing? Who will you be with?"

 

"It doesn't work like that for me," Theo answered. "Five years is too big for me. Sometimes one day is too big for me. I don't even know if I'm going to eat tomorrow. You can't ask me things like that. Who even knows that stuff? Where do  _ you _ see yourself in five years?"

 

Liam shrugged. "It's more an ideal than a plan, but I guess I see myself in a better position at work. I'm the youngest in my office, but I make a lot of effort and I'd like to take more responsibilities. I see myself moving out of my parents' house, probably. I'm not in a hurry or anything, but I think at some point it will be time. I see myself taking a trip across Europe. And when I come back I'll adopt a dog."

 

"You've got it all figured out, huh?"

 

"No," Liam said, feeling the need to defend himself and hating it. "I know that it'll probably not go like I imagine it, and I'm okay with that. Doesn't mean I don't have to bother with plans in the first place, does it? What things in life do you ever look forward to?"

 

"Being left in peace."

 

Liam felt offended. He was trying his best with Theo, not only in that moment but for months at that point, forgiving him over and over again on every day that Theo himself didn't. He almost responded, but Theo was quiet and a little stiff next to him, giving off weird vibes. Liam realized that he didn't mean him and his talking about life and the future. He'd given an honest answer, and Liam felt like he could see him for the first time. Like he could see behind the mask and find who Theo was. It scared him, because most of what he found was a man who looked tired.

 

"Pizza's getting cold," Liam mumbled. It didn't taste as good as it was supposed to. Liam had clearly started a conversation he didn't know how to continue or ever process. He hadn't cared about the reasons why Theo had tried to rob him when they'd first met. It was wrong - that was as far as his thoughts had gone, but of course, there was more to the story. Liam had barely gotten a glimpse, had only scraped the tip of what must have been an entire iceberg hidden beneath the surface. They ate in silence and stayed until it became freezing cold. When Theo stopped in front of Liam's house, Liam still hadn't come to a conclusion to his inner debate whether to ask Theo to stay for the night or not.

 

It seemed risky. Theo hated pity, and the whole being left in peace thing wouldn't leave Liam's mind. He only wanted to help, but he wasn't sure a bed for the night was the help that Theo needed. After all, he hadn't had one in years. It was too late for someone to pay attention now, too late to fix it. There wasn't enough that Liam could do. It seemed to little and so, so much too late.

 

"Thank you," Liam said, "for showing me your spot." He went inside and left Theo in peace, or so he thought.

 

In the middle of the night when Liam should have been too deep asleep to hear it, his phone buzzed with a text that said,  _ I lied. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. _

 

Liam wanted to text back first to tell Theo he was looking forward to it too, but he thought better of it and called him instead. He was almost surprised to hear Theo's sleepy voice answering the call. "Me too," Liam said. "Every day. I always look forward to seeing you again."

 

"Don't get attached to a douchecanoe, Liam," Theo murmured into the phone, so quietly  that Liam wondered if he knew how pointless the warning was.

 

"Too late," he whispered before he hung up.

 

During the following weeks things got busy at the office. Two people were about to retire from their jobs at once and business was going well. Liam came in early and left late, doing more extra hours than anyone else. He was going to get this damn promotion that he'd been working so hard for. When he left work at night it had long gone dark outside and he was tired. With Theo giving him sleepless nights and work days becoming infinite, Liam could barely keep his eyes open once he was slumped into the passenger seat of Theo's truck on the way home, the humming of its engine softly rocking him to sleep.

 

Liam only woke up again because Theo's arms were pulling away from him, leaving him alone in his own bed. He forced his heavy eyelids open and found Theo standing by his bed, tugging the sheets out from under him and tucking him in. A part of Liam felt warm and happy, another part was bitter that he didn't get to be awake when Theo had carried him inside and up the stairs, but he knew that Theo had held him like he wanted to, if only for a few minutes, but it had to be enough for now.

 

"Thank you," Liam mumbled, although what he really wanted to say was,  _ stay. _

 

"Good night," Theo said, smoothing a hand through Liam's hair before he turned off the lights and disappeared.

 

It was almost four in the morning when Liam decided to send Theo a text. It was almost like Theo's guards were down at night, like Liam could get away with saying things Theo would run away from immediately by day. Liam wanted the daytime too, but he took what he could get.

 

_ Five years from now, I want to not sleep alone. _

 

Theo didn't respond.

 

_ Five days from now, I don't want to sleep alone either _ , Liam added in a second text, afraid that he'd just set a deadline to the fragile relationship they'd built.

 

*

 

In five years time, Theo would be thirty. He had a feeling that his poor excuse of a life wasn't supposed to last that long. In that night though, after he'd carried Liam to bed and felt his breath against his neck, after he'd had the whole world in his arms for a moment, he couldn't resist dreaming anymore. He dreamed about a slightly older version of Liam, still as beautiful as ever, being the boss of all his dumb colleagues and making as much money as he'd need to fulfill all his own wishes. He dreamed about Liam travelling the world and sharing a garden with a dog. 

 

He dreamed of himself by Liam's side, and it was the first time he'd thought about still existing so far in the future.

 

He dreamed about Liam's sleeping face, relaxed and angel-like. He dreamed about arms wrapping around his neck, about something else than guilt weighing him down. He dreamed about holding a hand, dreamed about peace. He dreamed about a morning that wouldn't feel like the end of something.

 

Five days later fell on a weekend. Theo was busy painting a fence all morning so he could fill his tank later that day, but Liam was really the only thing on his mind. His head told him to run before the day could pass without anything happening, but his heart reminded him of the feeling whenever Liam was around him. If running had ever been a possibility, Theo would have done it on the day he'd met Liam. He didn't stand a chance.

 

_ Dinner at 7 _ , Liam texted him,  _ Mom misses you. _

 

Theo wasn't sure why it mattered all of a sudden, but he took his clothes to the laundromat in the afternoon so he could wear something freshly washed for dinner. He'd been at Liam's place countless times, was on a first name basis with both his parents. He'd gotten over his discomfort while being around them, but that night, it felt like he was going there for the first time again, not knowing what awaited him.

 

What awaited Theo was the smell of food and Liam in a pair of grey sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Theo wanted to pick him up and and take him somewhere private where nobody would see him cuddling Liam, but he shook the feeling off, or at least he tried to. 

 

Everything was as always, and yet, nothing felt the same. Theo kept stealing glances at Liam and felt Liam doing the same. It was day five and they both knew that something was inevitably going to happen.

 

"It was absolutely delicious David, thanks," Theo said when he finished eating and felt like he was too full to move. Still, he got up on his feet and began clearing the table, carrying plates and dishes into the kitchen.

 

"How about you let me do that?" Jenna asked, taking the utensils from Theo's hand and opening the dishwasher.

 

It wasn't the first time that Theo was invited for dinner, and it wasn't the first time that he'd seen Liam's bedroom, but it felt different. Like there were expectations. Like a point in five years existed. And also like Theo wanted it to.

 

"I'm glad you came today," Liam said calmly, turning on his tv and sitting down on the bed. "I wasn't sure you would."

 

"I wasn't sure either," Theo replied, "but I was looking forward to it."

 

It was silent for a moment, only the tv creating some background noise. Theo stared at the free spot next to Liam on the bed and felt stupid. Standing there and doing nothing would be a thousand times more awkward than sitting on Liam's bed together, but it wasn't as easy for Theo as it should have been. He wasn't just taking a seat, he was making a commitment. Liam was offering to share something Theo hadn't had, something that would hurt to be given and taken away again. Theo was scared and hesitant, but unable to turn away from Liam. He sat down.

 

"I'm not sure you'll stay," Liam whispered. Theo couldn't blame him. Liam wasn't stupid and Theo wasn't trustworthy.

 

"Tell me you want me to," Theo whispered back. Just once, he wanted to be where he was for a reason that went beyond the lack of better options.

 

Liam peeled Theo's hands apart and took one of them in his own. Their fingers found their ways and their hands fit together like matching puzzle pieces. "Stay," Liam said. He pulled Theo's hand in his lap and turned to face him, blue eyes boring into Theo's own. Like the waves of the ocean, Theo had thought the first time all those months ago, deep and dangerous. Like the endlessness of the sky, he was thinking now, knowing no limits. "I want you to stay."

 

"Because you don't want to sleep alone?"

 

"I lied," Liam said. "I've never minded sleeping on my own. Not until you left me five days ago."

 

"Stay," Liam repeated when Theo didn't answer. For once, the thought of leaving seemed scarier than the possibility to stay and ending up the one being left. "Stay."

 

Theo wasn't ready to say yes. He had never made a promise without intending to break it. It was big. He let Liam pull him into a hug though. He wrapped his arms around the other man and almost started crying. He could feel Liam's heart beating, could feel the warmth radiating off his body. He had found something so alive that five years weren't big enough for it, that no future plans he could come up with would do it justice.

 

Liam pulled Theo down and somehow they ended up under the sheets where Theo was safe and Liam's arms were the whole world. "Don't fall for a douchecanoe, Liam," Theo whispered. The day Liam had first called him that, he'd been convinced Liam would know better.

 

"Too late," Liam whispered back. "Way too late."

 

*

 

It was the same annoying, slightly uphill road home after work with his bike that Liam had known for ages. He'd gotten a little out of training, not that he'd ever managed to not turn into a sweaty, puffy tomato before arriving at home. He decided to take a quick break to catch his breath when he came across the same spot where he’d once found a hot dude with his truck.

 

Liam stopped by the road and pulled his phone out of his pocket to call Theo.

 

"Hello my sunshine," Theo answered the phone.

 

"Hello, douchecanoe," Liam said a little breathlessly. "I can't believe you're letting me die on my bike again."

 

"First of all," Theo began, "it's only two times a week. And secondly, you said I'd be off driving duty as soon as I'd get a job. I have a job. This is literally the only reason why I can't drive you tonight."

 

"So? You could at least let me complain about it. By the way, what do you want for dinner tonight?"

 

Liam knew he wouldn't get a real answer from Theo, but he was fine with that. He wasn't mad that he had to ride his bike again, and he wasn't mad about the nights that Theo spent alone in his truck. Theo had kept all his promises, especially those he'd never made out loud. They weren't everything Liam wished for, but they had time. Five years, ten, who knew. However long Theo would stay.

 

Bike rides and indecisiveness aside, they made it work. Liam met Theo at their little spot above Beacon Hills later that night. It had become a thing just as much as family dinner with Liam's parents had, just the two of them a little closer to the sky, silence and endless ways to run, except that Theo didn't need them.

 

It had been one year since the day they'd first met. For one year, Theo hadn't stolen anything. He'd gone from exchanging favors for money to an actual day job. For one year, Liam hadn't felt alone. They'd been together, not always in the hopes that everything would turn out great, but always working on it. Things were going in a chaotic order. Theo had moved in quite a while ago and Liam still hadn't stolen a kiss from him. They were messy, dysfunctional in many ways, slowly getting better.

 

"Are you happy?" Liam asked Theo as they sat in the middle of the clearing, the forest behind them peaceful but never silent.

 

"I think I'm only just learning what being happy even is," Theo answered, taking Liam's hand. It was nice that Theo did it as much as Liam did, not holding his breath anymore, not looking like a deer caught by headlights. "I think I will be, though."

 

"I have a new five year plan," Liam said, smiling when Theo raised an eyebrow at him. Liam turned his head and looked at him, their fingers intertwined, knees pressed together. "Five years from now, I want to be right here. Just like this. With you."

 

Theo looked at him for a second before he began smiling. It always went like that, Theo's eyes searching for a lie before he allowed himself to believe.

 

"Five minutes from now," Theo replied finally, "I want to have kissed you."

 

Liam was the happiest he'd been in a very long time. Who knew that one of his bike rides would take him to this moment. "Looks like we finally have a future plan we can both agree on."

 

The look on Theo's face was everything. Liam's heart started racing a little faster with every inch that he came closer. He was scared and happy at the same time, looking from Theo's eyes to his lips and back to his eyes until they were too close. A hand cupped his cheek and then Theo's lips were pressed on his own. It was a little awkward at first until they found the right angle to tilt their heads and the right amount of pressure. From then on, kissing Theo felt like breathing and being kissed by him like living. They grinned widely and stupidly against each others lips.

 

"Help," Liam whispered, "I think I'm in love with a douchecanoe."


End file.
